


Mary

by RedParrot



Series: The Greater Good - Part Two [6]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Children In Danger, F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, M/M, Near Death Experiences, Omegaverse, Rescue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:53:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24941866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedParrot/pseuds/RedParrot
Summary: The last of the children is returned to the family. The little girl is not impressed with her younger brothers. The adults have to keep an eye on her and the boys... but children can prove elusive when they want to be.
Series: The Greater Good - Part Two [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1738087
Comments: 6
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

Clive stretched out his hand when he found no sign of Meg, he opened his eyes. The seconds of wondering where his lover was were washed away. The horrible argument and revelation replaced happy thoughts.

He sighed.

They had not shared a bed for seven nights. The first two nights had been difficult, he had barely slept. He had lain, staring at the ceiling of his bedroom. A room he had hardly slept in since they had moved into Skulthorpe Manor. 

Meg had gone to stay in London for a couple of days. The time was meant to be for Clive to decide what he wanted to do. It had not been enough. The lack of sleep and the shock had left him exhausted. The others had been careful around him, checking if he wanted company or not. He had craved company, not to converse, just so that he was not alone.

The boys were the ones that had been his saviours. They had not asked questions. They had simply been there. Helping with the weeding, potting seedlings, and cleaning the glass - that they could reach - in the greenhouse.

The day Meg was due to return Clive had not really known what to do. It was Jamie who had suggested he move rooms. To be in the room next to Meg would have proved awkward. Between them, he and Jamie had moved his belongings to the room that was meant to be for Mary. As Mary was a little older, and female, they thought she would like the relative privacy of the bedroom away from the noisy babies and the boys.

He was waking, alone, a week after it had all stated. A week after they had found out that Mary's twin had not survived infancy. A week after Clive had found the government papers that described the cruel way that Betas were triaged. The way they were left until last for any medical treatment and could effectively be left to die even if they had an easily treatable condition.

The day had arrived when they would meet Mary. Jamie had asked Clive if he still wanted to go with him to collect his daughter. Clive had decided it would be too difficult. He knew poor Jamie was the one who was mourning for the boy he had never known, and he did not want to add to his friend's distress. Sammy had offered to go instead.

Clive had to remind himself that the day was about Mary and Jamie. His issues with Meg had to be put aside. He still had to make his choice, but it could wait.

Meg and he had settled into an unwritten arrangement. They only remained together if other family members were there, otherwise one or the other of them would leave the room. The boys could tell something was wrong, but they had not questioned the pair. Henry continued to sit in Meg's office drawing on the odd occasion she had worked from home that week. 

The decision that loomed over him would take some thought. It would be life changing. Potentially life-changing for the worse. Clive could not imagine any of the choices improving his life at that moment. 

He could stay where he was and live a life tolerating Meg. The house was big enough that they could easily avoid each other. But Clive had to consider the rest of the family. If there was a bad atmosphere between him and Meg it was bound to spill out to the others and that was just not fair on them. He could imagine them all trying to pretend there was no issue, but it would always be there, bubbling away.

He could go back into service. He could go back to offering himself as a substitute to Alphas and Omegas when they went into rut or heat and were without a bonded partner or mate. The thought of going back to effectively selling himself was not something Clive really wanted to entertain. He had done it before, most of the time it had been fine… until it had not. The last Alpha he went to had been rough with him and knotted him. Something the Alpha’s were not supposed to do. Nothing had been done about the assault which to any sane person amounted to rape. He was a Beta and he did not matter. The argument had been that he had willingly allowed the Alpha to fuck him and that the Alpha, caught up in the rut, had been unable to help himself. Which was wrong. Alpha’s had control of their knot. They could choose to let it grow or not. 

Could he go back to that life? The only good thing Clive could see about that choice would be that he would have an income and be able to rent a room somewhere and live independently. He would not be able to afford much, but he would be able to move out. 

The third option, the one that was his least favourite, was to go back to the Beta home. Where he would have no rights and simply exist, with no income and nothing of his own. He would be fed, accommodated and clothed. But that would be it. A bleak and pointless existence. Sometimes there was simple repetitive work that could be done, but for no reward other than a break to the monotony. It was common for Betas to commit suicide if they stayed in the homes. 

Clive knew that there was talk in Parliament of utilising the Beta’s now that more Omega would be staying at home to look after their children. But the Beta would still be the last choice on a list of job applicants. 

His choices were limited. But he did not want to leave the family in the limbo it was. He wanted to stay, he loved his family and he loved the children. 

Could he tolerate continuing to live with Meg?

Could she?

He had been very angry with her. He had shouted at her and sworn at her. He had called her names. He had embarrassed her. Clive did not feel guilty about the one-sided argument, he knew he had been caught up in the moment. But some of the things he had said were awful. Had he meant them? Since he had calmed down, he was sure he had not.

The sounds of the boys in the rooms above him drifted down. He could hear Henry telling Peter and George something. No doubt exaggerating the details to make himself seem more important in their eyes. 

Clive smiled. They were good lads and they did not deserve to be in a house with a bad atmosphere. And neither did Mary when she arrived. 

Clive would not let the issue hang over their heads for much longer. 

A~B~O

She knew it should not be affecting her work.

But it was.

It had been difficult to know what to do at first. She had suggested she move out for a bit; they had reminded her that she was Clive’s guardian. If she was not living at the same address as him, he would be forced to leave. Meg did not want that to happen. She did not want to see Clive removed from the family that loved him. 

They were stuck and the only person who could decide Clive’s fate… was Clive. 

The messenger app on the computer dinged. She looked at the popup and saw a message from Sylvie. Of course, there was a message from Sylvie. She had managed to avoid her friend for the first half of the week. Meetings and a couple of site visits had kept her busy, but now there was nothing. Sylvie would know there was something wrong. None of the other ministers or staff had noticed she was quiet. Most of the non-progressives ignored her anyway. But Sylvie would know. 

Her friend would make another pass at her. And a small part of Meg wanted to give in now. Now that she was not in a relationship with Clive anymore. She did not have to make excuses. She could let her attractive friend take her out to one of the fancy restaurants in the West End. She could let Sylvie wine and dine her. Perhaps, thought Meg, that was what she needed. A total change of scenery. 

She replied to the message to say she would meet Sylvie in the canteen in ten minutes. 

A coffee and a chat would do her good. She could not talk about what had happened, but she could talk about general stuff. She could talk about how much she was looking forward to meeting Mary. The eight-year-old would be there when she got home. The thought of being able to mould the girl and teach her not to be dismissive of the male sexes was something that gave Meg purpose. It gave her joy. She wanted to teach Mary to treat Peter, George and Henry as equals. Mary’s younger brothers were just that; younger brothers, inferior only in age, nothing else. 

She walked along the wide corridor of the New Parliament. She nodded a hello to one of the Alpha maintenance crew. The man smiled back and beckoned her over to him, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a few small paper bags.

‘You were saying that,’ he paused thinking for a second, ‘Clive is it? He’s growing vegetables.’

Meg nodded, trying to keep her expression neutral.

‘These are the seeds from the tallest sunflower I grew last year,’ he said as he dropped the first bag into her hand. ‘And these are some veggies - I’ve labelled them up - that he’s still got time to plant if he’s quick about it. Best to start them in the greenhouse. I've read that children used to like growing sunflowers… next year those wee lads and lassies can have a competition.’

The Alpha smiled as he handed her the rest of the bags. Meg looked at the bags for a couple of seconds as she quickly gathered her thoughts. A week ago, she would have enthusiastically given the seeds to Clive and offered to go to the greenhouse with him to plant them. They could not do anything more than talk in the exposed greenhouse, but they could still talk privately. Now, she was not even sure she would be able to bring herself to give the seeds to him. 

‘Thank you,’ she said with as broad a grin as she could manage, ‘I’ll see he gets them.’

The Alpha smiled again, ‘I’ll want an update,’ he said as she walked away.

Lost in thought she pushed open the double doors to the canteen. The usual chatter and noise assailed her senses. A few ministers were having unofficial meetings, laptops and phones spread across tables along with papers and mugs of tea and coffee. The queue for the food and drinks counter was short. Meg glanced at the assorted sweet treats and healthy options on offer. A double chocolate chip cookie caught her eye. She pointed at it when the Omega asked her if she wanted anything. As her coffee and the cookie were being arranged on a small tray she looked around for Sylvie. 

Her friend, with yet another new hairstyle, was sitting near the windows that lined one wall of the canteen grinning at her. Meg threaded her way around the other tables greeting a few of the other progressive women in the room. She was forced to stop and pass the time of day with Sondra Meering, the minister for Housing who barely disguised her interest. Meg could see Sylvie over the Minister's shoulder pulling faces and trying to make her laugh. Once Sondra had run out of things to say Meg tactfully excused herself and finally reached the table Sylvie was sitting at. 

‘You could sleep with her,’ said Sylvie, ‘but just be really really bad…’

Meg tilted her head and mouthed the words ‘fuck off’.

Sylvie chuckled.

They sipped at their coffees for a few seconds. Meg watched a senior minister berating a young woman who was probably her secretary. The blonde-haired woman hurried off, trying not to cry. Meg knew it took quite a lot to make women cry, but she also knew the Minister was a hard taskmaster. She felt sympathetic to the young woman.

‘You know,’ said Sylvie, ‘she’s a progressive.’

Sylvie nodded towards the disappearing secretary over her coffee cup.

‘I wonder if she’d come and work for me,’ mused Meg, ‘I’ve been given funding for another couple of junior aides…’

‘I’ll do some digging for you,’ said Sylvie as she scribbled the young woman’s name down on her electronic pad. ‘Now, are you going to tell me why you’ve been avoiding me and why you looked like death warmed up on Monday?’

Meg had to think quickly, she had known Sylvie for long enough that they both knew when the other was lying to their faces. She decided she had to tell Sylvie the truth, a slightly altered truth.

‘I… er… I’ve been seeing someone, and we broke up.’

Sylvie looked at her for several seconds with slightly narrowed eyes. She shook her head, the beads on her thin braids clacking together.

‘I’d have known if you were seeing someone,’ she said.

‘I don’t have to tell you everything,’ Meg said defensively. ‘I didn’t want to say anything… I thought it might get serious. She… She went off with a conservative woman… it was a shock that’s all.’

Sylvie continued to regard her before nodding slowly, ‘well, I’m not going to be having you rebounding into me,’ she said. ‘My warm bed will be there when you’re ready… but not yet.’

Meg almost sighed with relief; she could not believe that Sylvie had accepted her lie. Although she knew she would have to stick with it for the time being. The prospect of actually having a relationship with her friend was starting to become more appealing. After being with Clive for several months Meg was not sure she wanted to be alone again.


	2. Chapter 2

Jamie shifted the car into gear as he pulled away from the traffic lights. He glanced at the sat nav before looking for the next turning.

‘They certainly tuck these homes away don’t they,’ remarked Sammy from the passenger's seat. 

They had been driving for an hour to a nearby town and been following the ring road almost to the other side before being directed off towards what appeared to be the countryside on the other side. The home where Mary lived was one of the larger homes in the area. Females were often kept in the same home until they turned eighteen, progressing through their education until they were ready to leave, generally to start a course at a university. 

A long wall following the road they were driving along hiding the grounds to the home from view. Jamie wondered how much space the girls got compared to the males whose homes always seemed to be stark and cramped in comparison. 

‘I suppose they want the future leaders to get the best start in life…’ muttered Jamie as he turned into a long winding driveway. 

Jamie was still coming to terms with the news that Brian had died, but knew he had to push the negativity away for a little while. The family were still getting used to the news and the revelation that Brian might have lived if he had been treated fairly. Clive had calmed down quite a bit but the tension between him and Meg was still causing problems. Jamie had spoken to them both individually and both had promised they would not cause any problems when Mary arrived. They were adults and could deal with the awful and awkward situation they had found themselves in. 

Clive had apologised for not wanting to go with Jamie to collect Mary. Jamie could understand, Clive had principally been interested in Brian and now was coming to terms with a major upheaval in his life. Sammy had agreed to accompany Jamie as soon as he asked. Daniel and Clive could watch the boys and the twins whilst they were out. There had been talk of varnishing the trellis. Jamie hated to imagine what state the boys would be in when they got back. 

A couple of directional arrows led them to an impressive sprawling building. The three-storey home was ornately decorated and looked to be centuries old. Ivy was growing around the large door that dominated the centre of the home. 

A young woman wearing khaki chinos and a smart white blouse was standing on the steps watching them. As Jamie turned off the ignition Sammy climbed out of the car and walked over to the woman who smiled. Jamie was sure the smile was genuine.

‘Hello,’ she said, reaching to shake Sammy’s hand. ‘I’m Clare. We have a few girls being picked up today so I can’t impress you by knowing your names.’

‘We’ve come to collect Mary Attwood,’ said Jamie as he reached them, shaking Clare’s hand as well. 

Clare looked at her phone, she scrolled for a few seconds before looking back up at them, wide-eyed.

‘You’re the ones that live with Megan Thornton,’ she said.

Jamie nodded slowly, a wariness creeping into his thoughts. 

Clare, whose friendly smile had yet to leave her face, said, ‘you don’t need to worry. I think this is such a good idea. We should be with our families. I’ve been studying family life in Italy and Spain… now that we’re officially allowed to of course. The big families over there, they thrive…’

She trailed off, the smile finally faltering. 

‘I’m sorry your son died,’ she said. 

Jamie could tell she meant what she said, he glanced at Sammy who smiled and nodded.

‘It was a shock and it’s going to take a while to come to terms with.’

Clare nodded, she glanced at her phone again, ‘you’re Samuel Wade?’

Sammy nodded, ‘I’m not Mary’s Omega. We hope she’ll accept me.’

Clare smiled again, ‘I’m sure she will. She’s a bright one. I’ve helped in some of her classes. She’s always asking questions… personally, I think it’s a shame her housemistress is a bit conservative. Most of the girls are taught to be open-minded… it’s part of the curriculum… but as most women are conservative it is not really enforced. I’m sure Ms Thornton will help Mary…’

Clare trailed off again, she blushed.

‘Sorry. I’ve let my important job go to my head again. I’ll take you through to the Home Manager. You need to sign the paperwork. Then I’ll take you to Mary. She knows you’re coming today, and she knows that Brian died and that her Omega also died.’

‘How did she take that?’ asked Sammy.

Jamie had warmed to Clare and could tell Sammy was at ease with her as well. She was similar to Meg in many ways. She was speaking to them as equals and had no problem looking them in the eyes. 

‘She was a little quiet at first, I think she thought she was missing out a bit. But as with all us girls, she’s not very emotional unless it’s something that really affects us.’

Jamie could not help looking around at the tastefully decorated hallway. Polished wooden doors lined the hall, marked up with names and positions. A couple of girls, Jamie guessed they were around ten years old, were busy pinning drawings to a display board. A tall male, obviously an Alpha, was working on a light fitting. His overalls were neatly pressed and clean. He nodded a greeting to Jamie as they walked past. 

‘Come to get your girl?’ he asked.

Jamie nodded.

‘Good luck,’ said the man, ‘one step at a time. We’ll make it better one step at a time.’

‘Sid,’ said Clare with a cheeky grin, ‘the steps are already being taken.’

Sid chuckled and went back to his work.

As they reached the end of the corridor Clare said quietly, ‘he found out a couple of weeks ago that his twin girls are here. He’s been the caretaker here for years, he’s interacted with his daughters and never knew.’

They had reached another impressive polished door. Clare knocked and waited for a few seconds. After hearing a call from within the room Clare pushed the door open and stepped inside holding the door for Jamie and Sammy.

‘Ms West,’ she said, ‘this is James Attwood and Samuel Wade, they’ve come to pick up Mary.’

‘Thank you, Clare,’ said a grey-haired woman who was sitting behind a large desk. 

Clare stepped aside and indicated for Jamie and Sammy to enter the room. She pointed at the two chairs by the desk opposite Ms West. Jamie self-consciously settled into one of them as Sammy took the other. Unlike the jovial nature of Clare, Ms West seemed to be very austere. 

The woman reminded Jamie of the other managers he had met whilst collecting his children. The others had been just as overbearing and unhelpful. Ms West pushed the now-familiar documents toward Jamie. 

‘As the only surviving parent, I only require your signature, Mr Attwood. Do you require me to explain the conditions?’

Jamie defiantly stared at the woman, ‘No, madam,’ he said, ‘Mary is not the first of my children that I’ve collected.’

Ms West made a small noise. She handed Jamie a pen. Jamie signed and dated the forms.

‘You understand that you do not have to repatriate your daughter. She could remain here and be educated and brought up properly.’

Jamie shook his head, ‘she belongs with me and her younger brothers. Where she will learn to treat others equally. Where she will be loved.’

Ms West shook her head as she slid her copy of the paperwork back towards herself. 

‘You may go. Clare will take you to your daughter.’

The short meeting concluded Ms West waved them away. Jamie glanced at Sammy who did not look as confident as he had mere minutes before. They left the room as quickly as they could.

A~B~O

Each of the boys had reacted differently to the news that Mary would be arriving later that day. Jamie had sat them all down and told them what was happening. They knew that Brian had died so only their sister would be arriving. 

Henry had pouted and become tearful, in the same way, he had when he had learned that he had younger sisters. Peter had sat up straight and tall, every inch the Alpha and told Jamie that Mary was not going to be allowed to share their bedroom. George had become a little quiet for a few seconds before saying that as long as he could still help with the babies and the vegetable patch he did not mind. 

Daniel had watched the exchange from the door, proud of the way Jamie was dealing with his boys, wondering if he would be as good a father to his daughters as they grew up and started to understand the world around them. He had been holding Isabelle, gently rocking her, the baby was getting heavy, but Daniel did not mind, he enjoyed the interaction with her. Rachel had been in her highchair in the kitchen being given small pieces of banana by Sammy. The baby had been eating the banana, after fashion. Daniel was convinced more of it was smashed into the little tray on the front of her chair and her face than had gone in her mouth.

‘Where will she sleep?’ Peter had asked. ‘Only boys are allowed up to our rooms.’

Daniel had smiled sadly as Jamie explained that Mary would sleep in the room that Clive used to sleep in. The boys had not worked out that where Clive was sleeping now was the room that had been intended for their sister and that the change had been necessary due to the massive one-sided argument between Clive and Meg.

‘She’s not having my crayons,’ Henry had stated with a very serious expression.

‘No, Henry,’ Jamie had said, ‘she won’t take your crayons. But you will have to learn to share with her as well.’

Shortly after the conversation with the boys Jamie and Sammy had left. Henry had not really wanted them both to go but Peter and George had distracted him. The older boys seemed to have a grasp that it was as difficult for the adults as it was for them to accept all the changes that were going on. 

Of course, it had not taken Henry long to forget about his sister and he was soon itching to get out into the garden and start work on their project of painting the trellis. 

As Daniel dealt with the top of the trellis each of the boys took a section according to their height. Daniel had allowed Peter to stand on a step so that he was a little higher up. The little Alpha was on the step in front of Daniel so if he were to fall he would be easy to grab. But Peter had remained steady and was carefully varnishing the wood, making sure he got into all the corners. George was a little slower but still seemed to be enjoying the task and the conversation that they were all taking part in. Henry had started well but predictably became bored and whined a bit until George had knelt next to him to help him with his bit of work. 

‘Once we’re finished, I want you to all have a shower,’ said Daniel as they neared the end of the trellis. ‘You want to make a good impression on your sister, don’t you?’

George nodded, Peter pulled a face, and Henry started pouting again. 

Daniel stood back from the trellis as Peter joined George and Henry to finish off the bottom section. Clive appeared beside him.

‘Looks good,’ he said with a smile.

It had been a few days since the argument, Daniel had not seen Clive smile in that time. The Beta male had been quiet and distant. He had interacted with the boys but generally kept himself to himself. Daniel knew he was thinking about his future with the family.

‘I’ll sort out the bits they’ve missed,’ Daniel said quietly, pointing at the patches that had been left by each of the boys in their haste to prove how good they were at varnishing. 

Clive nodded but did not say anything. Daniel turned to him and raised an eyebrow. It was obvious the man had something to say.

Clive sighed, ‘I thought… you know… ‘cos your head of the house-’

‘Hardly,’ said Daniel, ‘we all make the decisions. I’m just the official head.’

‘I know but I wanted to tell you first. I’ll still need to talk to… her.’

Clive paused for a few seconds. Daniel allowed him the time to settle himself. 

‘But I want to stay. I love you all… even Meg… although perhaps not in the same way anymore. I love the boys and the twins. And… I really don’t want to go back to the home… and I can’t go back into service, Danny, I just can’t.’

Daniel wrapped his arms around the smaller man, pulling him close. Clive was trying not to cry. Daniel knew it must have been a really difficult decision for him to make. 

‘Thank you,’ said Daniel.

‘What for?’ asked Clive, his voice muffled.

‘For making the right decision. None of us wanted to see you go. Even Meg is devastated. You two can work it out. I’m sure it won’t be easy, but you can do it. The house is big, even the rooms are big, you can be together but not… be together. And given time you might even be friends again.’

‘I hope so,’ said Clive. ‘I can’t apologise to her for what I said. But I wish I hadn’t done it so publicly. I meant it, well, most of it but I went about it all wrong. It’s Jamie I feel the worst about. He was still in shock about Brian and I went and caused a massive problem for us all.’

‘But you two have talked. It’s OK Clive, we’ll be here when you want us.’

Clive nodded, then turned to the boys with a smile, ‘right then, showers… and then Henry you can show me how good you are at getting yourself dressed now.’

The boys wandered back into the house with varying levels of enthusiasm. Clive turned back to Daniel.

‘Thank you,’ he said, ‘thank you for leaving the decision up to me, for not trying to persuade me to stay. I needed to realise for myself it’s for the best despite how weird it will be.’

‘Hopefully, it won’t be weird for long,’ said Daniel as he returned to the trellis to finish the bits the boys had missed. 

Clive disappeared after the boys. Daniel allowed himself a smile, he, Sammy, and Jamie had talked during that week. They had all sat with Clive and Meg at one point or another, let them talk, been there for them to confide in and been a shoulder to lean on. The family had been shaken but were still strong. They had a way to go to patch all the wounds, but they would, Daniel was confident of it. And if the dynamic between Meg and Clive changed, which he was sure it would, they would adapt with it.


	3. Chapter 3

Clare was waiting for them as they stepped out of Ms West’s office. She smiled sympathetically before leaning in and speaking quietly.

‘I once wrote a piece about the French changing their laws to be more in line with Spain and commented that the UK should do the same. I was sent to her for a right bollocking… She’s really scary. You don’t need to worry about being intimidated by her… she intimidates all of us, even the other stuffy conservative supervisors and teachers.’

Jamie smiled, ‘we were only in there for a couple of minutes and that was enough,’ he said. 

‘Come on, I’ll take you to Mary.’

Clare led them further along the corridor. Jamie glanced through the windows in the doors as they passed them. Classes for the girls were being held in each room. He remembered his education being very short and basic. One of the rooms had lots of what looked like equipment from a science fiction film spread along benches. The girls were all wearing white coats and goggles. The stark reminder of how differently the male and female sexes were treated was a worry. He had been hopeful that they would be able to deal with Mary in the same way as they had dealt with the boys. But not only was she older than his sons she was female, the leading sex. 

He felt Sammy slip his hand into his and squeeze, his mate could feel the worry coming off him.

‘We’ll muddle through,’ he said quietly. 

Clare, oblivious to Jamie’s worry had stopped outside the last classroom in the corridor. 

‘I think Ms West has the repatriations in this room so that the parents can see what their daughters are going to be missing out on.’

‘We are going to ensure Mary still goes to school. There’s a home that’s been turned into a school for females about thirty minutes’ drive from us. Meg goes quite near to it on her way to work and when Mary’s settled, she can start getting the bus that’s going to pick up children who live a bit remotely.’

‘You don’t need to defend yourself with me,’ said Clare, her smile still present. ‘I’m actually a bit sad that I won’t be going to my family…’

She faltered for a few seconds, the smile fading again.

‘They’ve not contacted me back to say they want to meet me. I guess ‘cos I’m nearly eighteen they didn’t see the point. When I leave here, I’m going straight to University or an apprenticeship, I’ve not fully made my mind up.’

Sammy stepped up to Clare and rested his hand on her arm, ‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ he said. ‘I would have been proud to have you as a daughter.’

‘You’re a bit young to be my Omega,’ replied Clare, her smile returning, ‘but thank you. I’ll introduce you, and when you’re ready I’ll show you out.’

She pushed the door open. 

There were five children in the room. The two eldest girls were sitting at a desk leaning back, arms folded defensively, looking very unimpressed. They looked at Jamie and Sammy for a few seconds before going back to their own conversation. Jamie guessed the teenagers were not keen to go back to their family. But the law that had been passed favoured the families unless the children were over seventeen. The teenagers were not going to get a choice, although Jamie wondered if they would stay with their family for long, there had already been a few children returned to the home due to them or their families not being able to cope with their new lives. 

Another Alpha and Omega were talking to a boy and girl of about three years old at the back of the room. The little boy was clinging to the Omega whilst the girl did not seem to know what to do, she looked as though she wanted to be close to her Omega but was not sure.

Mary, the only child that was alone in the room was standing next to a chair that had a light purple backpack on it. She was wearing blue knee-length shorts and a light blue polo shirt. She was smiling, her shoulder-length light blonde hair was being held back by a purple Alice band, she stepped forward very formally and held out her hand.

‘I am Mary,’ she said. ‘You are my Alpha. May I call you James?’

Jamie managed a smile, ‘my friends call me Jamie,’ he said as he shook his daughter’s hand. ‘And I would be honoured if you would as well.’

Mary smiled, ‘Clare told me that I was being repachiated today.’

‘Re-pat-ri-a-ted,’ said Clare slowly, sounding out the long word for the eight-year-old.

Mary paused for a second, Jamie could see her saying the word to herself a couple of times and was reminded of his own struggles with words. He hoped his daughter had not inherited his issue. 

‘Repatriated,’ Mary managed to say after a few seconds. 

‘Are you happy about that?’ asked Sammy.

Mary looked at him, she thought for another few seconds before replying, ‘I’m sad to leave my friends here, but some of them have gone already…’

‘What’s the matter?’ asked Jamie, crouching in front of his daughter when she trailed off.

‘Will it be alright for me to visit them?’

Jamie glanced up at Clare who had picked up a folder from the desk beside her, ‘sorry, I took the liberty of asking all the older girls who their best friends were and I’ve got their addresses - with the permission of the Manager and the other parents of course - the psychology teacher, she said it might do them good to have some link to their time here and it might help them adjust to the outside world.’

Clare handed the sheet of paper to Sammy. Jamie glanced at the shortlist of three names, noting that the addresses the girls had gone to were not too far away. He looked back at Mary and nodded.

‘You’ll probably all be at the same school anyway.’

Mary looked relieved, ‘thank you,’ she said.

Jamie was sure Mary was trying her hardest to behave in a way that she thought her parents would want her to. She was hiding her apprehension well, but Jamie could tell she was nervous. He hoped she would relax when she met the rest of the family. 

They followed Clare back to the car, Mary chatted with Clare the entire way, Jamie could tell Clare was enjoying her responsibility. As they reached the car, she handed the purple backpack to Jamie.

‘I wonder,’ she said, almost shyly, ‘if I could get Ms Thornton’s autograph? I follow everything she does and I’m a big fan…’

‘I think she’d be happy to do that,’ said Sammy, ‘you’ve been very kind to us today.’

Clare practically jumped with excitement as she pulled a small notepad out of her back pocket, she flipped to an empty page and wrote her name and room number down. She tore the paper and handed it to Sammy.

‘Thank you so much,’ she said, her beaming smile lighting up her whole face. ‘Have a safe journey. Goodbye Mary.’

Mary, who had already been safely strapped into the back seat of the car, waved to Clare as Jamie closed the door. As Clare walked back to the house another car turned off the long driveway, Clare changed direction and called out a greeting to the older Alpha and Omega that climbed out. Jamie guessed the teenage girls were about to have their repatriation. He hoped it went well.

‘What a lovely girl,’ said Sammy from the other side of the car.

Jamie looked across the roof of the car to his mate as he pulled the driver's door open, ‘I know… I wish Sarah had been more like her.’

It had been odd comparing Clare to Sarah. They were the same age but had very different attitudes. Sarah, the daughter of the family's former Alpha, had visited them briefly but only to see what Meg was like. She had changed her temperament after Jamie had confronted her about being derogatory towards Beta’s. Sarah had assaulted him and left. None of them had heard from her since.

‘How far is it to where I live now?’ asked Mary.

‘It’s about an hour’s drive,’ said Jamie as he turned the key in the ignition. 

‘Do you have a garden?’

Jamie glanced at Sammy and smiled; Clare had been right about Mary asking a lot of questions.

Sammy looked back and answered, ‘yes we have a garden. We’re lucky there’s a big garden and a paddock at the front that sometimes has horses in it.’

‘I’ve never seen a horse in real life. I’ve seen a zebra in the zoo. And some ponies but not a horse.’

‘Why am I called Mary? I’m the only Mary my age at the home.’

Jamie smiled sadly, ‘Liam, your Omega, he named you after the author of his favourite book.’

‘Which book?’

‘Frankenstein,’ replied Jamie, ‘you’re named after Mary Shelley.’

Jamie looked in the rearview mirror, noting Mary’s curious expression.

‘It’s a scary book about a man who makes another man come back to life.’

‘Like in a hospital if someone’s heart stops beating?’

Jamie nodded, ‘something like that.’

‘That sounds exciting. I’d like to read it.’

Sammy came to Jamie’s rescue, ‘it’s quite an old book, Mary, it was written over 200 years ago. You’d probably struggle with the words; I know I would… but there are easier to read versions… but it’s really quite scary.’

‘Have you read it?’

‘Not the original. I used to work in a library, I read one of the modernised versions…’

Jamie was impressed with his daughter's thirst for knowledge, even if what she wanted to know about was probably not something, she should have been learning about at eight years old. 

‘Why was Brian called Brian then? Was he named after a writer as well?’

‘No, actually,’ said Jamie, ‘he just seemed like a Brian when he was a baby.’

Mary was quiet for a few seconds, ‘I’m sorry he died.’

Jamie wondered, not for the first time, what Brian and Mary would have been like as a pair. Would they have interacted? Would Mary have been able to get on with a Beta twin? He would never know.

A~B~O

Clive watched the car pull into the driveway from the window seat in the kitchen. Sammy had already texted to say they were nearly home, sending Daniel off to start work on a family dinner. Unsure if there was anything that Mary would refuse to eat Daniel had opted to have a choice of dishes. They knew that with a family of nine, not counting the babies any leftovers would be polished off at some point.

‘This isn’t the front of the house, we park at the side, this door leads to the kitchen,’ Jamie was saying as they walked through the small back hallway that opened out onto the large kitchen. 

Clive and Daniel moved to meet the new arrival. Mary was looking around, trying to take everything in. Clive was reminded of the day they had first met Sammy and he had spent the first few minutes in the house trying to look at things without being noticed. Mary was the polar opposite. Her gaze settled on Daniel, after a moment's hesitation she stepped forward and held out her hand. Daniel shook it gently with a glance at Jamie who just smiled.

‘I am Mary. I am named after an author. You must be Daniel, you’re the head of the house.’

‘I am,’ said Daniel, ‘I’m pleased to meet you, Mary.’

She turned to Clive, ‘you’re Clive. You’re a Beta and you live here as well.’

‘Yes,’ said Clive, as he shook the little girl’s hand. 

‘I like your kitchen. The kitchen in the home is made of metal and smells of cleaning stuff when it doesn’t smell of cooking.’

Mary walked around the kitchen for a few seconds, she looked at the food that was being prepared before looking back at Daniel.

‘There’s a roast chicken in the oven and a mild vegetable curry…’

Mary looked impressed, ‘I’ve had roast chicken but never curry… Will I be able to try some?’

Daniel smiled and nodded; Clive could tell he was pleased their newest family member was prepared to try different things. The boys tended to be fussy.

‘I’ll show you your room, and then you can meet your brothers,’ said Jamie.

‘I thought I had sisters as well?’

‘Technically they’re not your sisters, you don’t share a parent with them,’ said Sammy, ‘Danny and I are their parents.’

‘But you said in the car that you would like me to think of you as my Omega,’ said Mary. ‘So, I should really think of Rachel and Isabelle as my sisters as well.’

Sammy smiled and nodded, ‘I think that would be fine,’ he said with a glance at Daniel and Jamie who both nodded as well. 

Clive was impressed with the little girl who seemed to have a good understanding of how the family worked. Sammy had told him in his text message that Mary had been asking lots of questions on the journey. 

Jamie led Mary towards the sitting room and the rest of the house. Clive looked at Sammy who was watching them go.

‘Was that what she was like in the car?’ he asked.

Sammy nodded, ‘I think she’s actually a bit nervous but hides it with all the questions,’ he said. ‘I’d best go and find the boys and make sure they’re not up to anything that will not make a good first impression.’

‘They’re in the dining room. Peter wanted to build something with the Lego. I think he feels like he needs to show off a bit. Henry was only too happy to help. I just hope he hasn’t eaten any of the bits yet,’ said Daniel as he followed Sammy from the room. 

Clive watched them go. He paused for a moment, before turning to find Meg watching him from the kitchen doorway. No one had noticed her arriving. They both regarded each other for a few seconds before Meg made to walk through to her office.

‘Meg,’ said Clive, realising that he had to talk to her and the sooner he did it the better, ‘wait a minute, please.’

Meg stopped and turned back to him. She waited.

‘If it’s alright with you… I’ll stay-’

Meg let out an audible sigh, wilting slightly at the news. She managed a smile.

‘I know we can’t go back to what we had. It’s just not something I can do,’ continued Clive, noting the look of regret on Meg’s face. ‘But you said that I could stay, and I’m grateful for you being prepared to continue being my guardian. We can… tolerate each other. We can make it work. If you’ll have me.’

Meg smiled, ‘of course I want you to stay Clive. I was very upset at what you said to me last week, but it’s true. I’ve let Beta’s down. I guess it’s a primal thing for women as well, to protect the sexes that can continue the species. But we… I… shouldn’t be like that. I still love you Clive and still want to be with you… but I understand that you can’t anymore.’

They looked at each other for a few more seconds, an awkward atmosphere between them. But, thought Clive, awkward was better than the hostility there had been earlier in the week. Meg turned and wandered off. Clive hoped he had made the right decision.


	4. Chapter 4

Jamie was a little worried about introducing Mary to the boys after their reaction to the news earlier in the day. Mary had shown an interest, but he was still convinced she was behaving in a way that she thought the adults wanted her to. Clive, who was the most well-read of them, had looked up child development and found that children often went through stages as they grew of learning how to lie and wanting to please. The ages that the children went through those moments varied from sex to sex and was different from before the evolutionary leap. Clive had been fascinated by the subject when they first found out they were going to get the children back, now that it was a reality, they were all a little bit worried.

Mary had seemed pleased with her room. Jamie had said it was the smallest room, but the boys would not need to go up to the bedrooms over the kitchen. She had told him she used to share with three other girls, one of whom she did not get on with. Jamie had got the impression she was a little worried about sleeping all on her own but had reassured her that Meg would only be in the next room. Knowing that another female was nearby had settled Mary. It had been the most obviously anxious Jamie had seen her. 

As they walked through the dining room to the family room, they could hear the boys talking. All three stopped as they stepped into the room. The children all regarded each other. George shifted slightly to be closer to his brother. 

‘I am Mary. I am your older sister.’

Jamie had decided that Mary’s rather stilted self-introductions had, perhaps, been something she had been taught to do. A way of giving her the upper hand by being the first to talk and to put confidence, however fake, behind the words. He wondered if it was something all females were taught to do when they were in the home. 

‘I’m Peter and this is George, he’s my twin and this is Henry, he’s my brother,’ said Peter who was trying to be dominating but not achieving it very well. 

The ingrained fear that males had of females was still there. They were used to Meg but still wary of other females. Clive had told them the trait was taught it was not something they were born with. In the more liberal countries, the males and females were far more equal, women might still have led but the men were not scared of them. 

‘Are you seeing how tall you can build a tower?’ asked Mary as she looked at the construction the boys had been working on.

Henry nodded, ‘it just fell over, so we had to start again,’ he said with a bit of a pout. 

Jamie was sure he or Sammy would have to spend some time with the little boy at some point in the day when his emotions bubbled over. Little Henry seemed to be forever having to deal with big changes.

‘You need a bigger base at the bottom to make it stronger. We learned about building strong things at school…’

The boys looked at her, Peter looked like he would like to accept the suggestion but was a bit too proud to do so. Henry’s bottom lip quivered. It was George who stepped out a little from behind Peter.

‘Would you like to help?’ he asked tentatively.

Mary glanced at Jamie who nodded, ‘I’ll get a measuring tape so you can see how tall you build it,’ he said.

Mary moved forward and knelt next to the pile of plastic bricks. The children were soon engrossed in their work. Jamie retreated slowly to the hallway and continued to watch them. Once Mary thought he had gone she started to take over a bit. She did not push the boys out of the way, but she did start to do the lion’s share of the work. Henry lost interest and started building his own things. George seemed content to sort the bricks for Mary, but Peter was not impressed, he stopped helping entirely. 

‘I suspect we’ll have to keep an eye on that,’ said Sammy, who had quietly appeared with a mug of tea for him. 

‘I just wanted to see what she was like when there were no adults around.’

‘Female,’ said Sammy, ‘she’s being female. Not as overbearing as adult females but that’s what she’s doing. She can dominate the boys; she can’t dominate us.’

‘I wonder if she’d have been different if Brian was still alive?’

Sammy shrugged, ‘probably not. I think she’s too old... We’ll have to make sure they all get an even amount of attention.’

Jamie wrapped his arm around his mate, ‘and you need to remember that you don’t have to do it all yourself. The rest of us can help. The boys seem quite happy to go to any of us, even Meg, for help.’

‘I know,’ said Sammy, ‘and I’m glad.’

They continued to watch the children.

A~B~O

_A few days later… ___

__Sammy rocked Henry as the little boy sniffed and settled his breathing. He glanced at Daniel who was watching with concern._ _

__‘He’ll be alright in a minute,’ said Sammy, ‘it’s just another new person to get to know,’ he turned his attention to Henry who was holding onto him tightly, ‘but Graham’s not going to live here, he’s just come to visit. You like Michael, Graham is his son. Graham’s an Alpha as well.’_ _

__The only response Sammy got was a sniff. Jamie appeared with a cup of tea and tumbler of strawberry squash. He set the cups down on the side table by Sammy and moved to sit on the other side of his son, he rubbed the little boys back for a few moments. The tears had stopped, and Henry seemed content to just be held by his Omega._ _

__The previous week had been interesting. Mary had settled quickly, her age meant she had understood the dynamics of the family and knew what she could and could get away with depending on which adult she was with. Meg had been forced to speak to her at one point when she was a little too derogatory towards Clive. Mary had quickly seen the error and bravely apologised to the Beta who had nodded his thanks to Meg. The two had disappeared to the greenhouse for a couple of hours and Mary’s misdemeanour was forgotten as she helped Clive with repotting some tiny seedlings._ _

__Peter had continued to try to exert his dominance much to the adults' hidden amusement. They were careful not to encourage or discourage the behaviour but were keeping a close eye on the children._ _

__Noises from the kitchen alerted them that the visitors had arrived. Henry snuggled closer to Sammy._ _

__‘I’ll go and head them off,’ said Daniel. ‘Warn them that not everyone wants them here.’_ _

__Sammy could hear the greetings going on in the kitchen before Michael appeared in the doorway and smiled._ _

__‘I hear someone doesn’t want to see me again,’ said Michael, ‘and I’ve bought some used tyres with me and some strong rope-’_ _

__Sammy was not surprised when Henry looked up, his face puffy from crying._ _

__‘-so that I can sort you out a couple of swings… but if you don’t want that…’_ _

__Henry had scrambled off Sammy before Michael had finished talking._ _

__‘Why don’t you find your brothers, and your sister, and see if you can work out which tree would be best to make a swing on?’_ _

__Henry nodded and scampered off to find his siblings. Michael watched him go with mild amusement._ _

__‘I’ve seen pictures of boys in Spain playing on swings made from old tyres, you don’t mind, do you?’_ _

__Sammy shook his head, ‘they’re sensible enough and we can see the trees from the house.’_ _

__‘Sammy has gradually got used to the idea that he can’t keep them wrapped up the whole time…’ said Jamie, earning himself a playful slap from his Omega._ _

__They both stood up as Michael stepped aside and ushered an older boy forward. Michael’s son, Graham, had been allowed to leave the home early as it was another one that was being changed into a school. He had been living with Michael for a couple of weeks. The young Alpha was already nearly six-foot-tall. His hair was dark brown and cut short, he looked as though he still had a bit of growing to do, his arms and legs were thin compared to the adult Alphas around him._ _

__‘This is my son, Graham,’ said Michael who looked quite proud._ _

__Graham seemed a little self-conscious, but he managed to say hello to them all and shook their hands. Sammy glanced at Jamie who seemed to have guessed Graham’s problem. The fifteen-year-old was not really an adult but equally not a child anymore. Jamie stepped forward._ _

__‘I could use some help sorting the barbeque out and with putting up the garden furniture?’_ _

__Graham took the hint gratefully and followed Jamie from the room and out the back door. They could see the pair walking over to the brick-built barbeque._ _

__‘Is that Jamie passing on his skills at lighting fires?’ asked Meg as she greeted Michael with a kiss on the cheek. ‘He’s a strapping lad, isn’t he?’_ _

__Michael nodded, ‘he’s a bit clumsy, but tries. I think he’s still getting over the shock of it all.’_ _

__‘Have you had any word from Thomas since he was placed with his pack?’ asked Sammy, remembering how quiet and timid Michael’s Omega son had been when he had visited them._ _

__‘He’s not visited me again yet, but he’s texted me a few times. I guess he’s still getting used to it. It’s a bit weird knowing he’s with strange Alpha’s. I’ve only known him a couple of months but already I feel very protective of him… but I should be letting his Alpha protect him now…’_ _

__Sammy knew he and Daniel and Jamie would have to go through the same thing when their children had grown up. He was determined he would enjoy every moment he got with them whilst they were still his responsibility._ _

__‘What about Sarah?’ asked Meg._ _

__‘Not heard another word,’ said Michael with a shake of his head, ‘and to be honest, I’m glad.’_ _

__Sensing that the conversation was in danger of getting maudlin Sammy looked at Daniel._ _

__‘Are we allowed to help with the food preparations or are you going to banish us to the garden to wait?’_ _

__Daniel laughed, ‘I will accept help with setting up the table and with corralling children,’ Daniel glanced across the garden. ‘Although I think, Michael, you and your old tyres are required at the bottom of the garden.’_ _

__Sammy could see the boys and Mary animatedly discussing the merits of different tree branches that could be used as swings. Peter was dangling, upside down, from one low branch and Henry was busy trying to jump up to another that was far too high for him. Michael took his cue and made his way out of the house, pausing to talk to his son on the way._ _

__A~B~O_ _

__Jamie was quite enjoying working with Graham to set up what they needed for the family to get together. The young man was happy to take direction and was gradually coming out of his shell._ _

__‘Were there many of you left when Michael collected you?’_ _

__‘I was one of the last, they’d already started on the building work. The supervisors had all gone, it was just the manager and she didn’t really bother to interact with any of us. I think it will make a good school; it was quite a modern building.’_ _

__They pulled the sheets off the garden furniture sending a few spiders skittering away into dark corners of the garage. Graham watched them go._ _

__‘Giant House Spiders,’ said Graham, before looking up at Jamie, ‘I like creepy crawlies. Particularly spiders.’_ _

__‘Don’t tell Sammy that, he hates them. I’ve had to rescue him more than once from a tiny little eight-legged fiend.’_ _

__Graham chuckled._ _

__They lifted the loungers and carried them back around the house to the patio. Michael passed them on the way._ _

__‘Where do you keep your ladder?’ he asked. ‘They’ve decided where they want their swings.’_ _

__‘You can’t miss them, both hanging along the wall. You’ll probably be alright with the step ladder; do you need some help?’_ _

__‘Clive’s already volunteered to be my steadying man.’_ _

__Michael walked off. Jamie could see the boys all dancing around, pretending to be swinging back and forth, whilst Mary and Clive were rolling one of the tyres across the grass._ _

__‘It looks like they’ve always lived here,’ said Graham, ‘like we’ve been brought up by our parents… it’s only been a couple of weeks since I left the home and I’m already feeling like I belong with Michael…’_ _

__‘What?’ asked Jamie as the younger Alpha trailed off._ _

__‘It’s just, I think he’d like me to work for his car repair shop, but I’m not really keen. Only I don’t want to upset him.’_ _

__Jamie smiled, ‘the fact that you are thinking about his feelings over your own is admirable,’ he said. ‘I guess he’d like to keep you close, now that he’s got you back.’_ _

__Graham nodded._ _

__They continued to set up the wooden chairs and loungers as Sammy and Meg began setting the large wooden table and Daniel started to cook the burgers and sausages on the barbeque. Jamie could tell that Graham was still feeling a little bit stuck in the middle._ _

__‘Would you like to see the cottage?’ asked Jamie, thinking that if he could show him around it would give them something to talk about over the meal._ _

__Graham looked at the cottage, which they could see over the wall from where they were, he nodded._ _

__A~B~O_ _

__Meg watched the boys and Mary wandering around the garden licking their ice creams. She remembered the first time they had presented the children with ice cream. Only Mary had eaten it before. The boys had been a little wary of the frozen dessert for a couple of minutes, poking it with their spoons. Peter had eventually tried a bit and announced that it was tasty. George and Henry did not take much persuasion after that._ _

__Clive was going around the table pouring white wine for those that were drinking. Meg nodded when he reached her. She was pleased they were at least back on speaking terms, but Clive was being careful not to be alone with her. Other than when he had told her he wanted to stay they had not really had a conversation. He never responded to things she said at the dinner table or when they were all sitting as a family in the evenings. She hoped they could get closer again but knew it would take a while if it even happened. She longed for some company, and Sylvie’s bed was looking more and more enticing._ _

__‘I said, how many staff do you have now?’_ _

__Meg realised she had been preoccupied with her own thoughts and not paying attention to her surroundings. She stared at Michael for a few seconds as she tried to come up with the right answer._ _

__‘There are at least sixty in the wider department now, dealing with Male Rights and personally, for the Repatriation Department, I’ve got a team of nine. And possibly an apprentice if Clare accepts my offer.’_ _

__‘Clare?’_ _

__‘The young woman that looked after us when we went to pick up Mary,' said Sammy. 'She was very liberal in her attitude and apparently Meg’s biggest fan - asked for her autograph.’_ _

__Michael looked impressed, he glanced at Jamie, Daniel and Graham who were deep in conversation at the other end of the table._ _

__‘What are you three so engrossed in?’_ _

__Graham, flushed with embarrassment, looked very guilty about something. Daniel slapped him on the shoulder._ _

__‘Talking about apprenticeships,’ he said, ‘young Graham here said he might be interested in helping out on the renovation… I know you’re keen for him to join you fixing cars - ‘_ _

__‘I’ve been waiting for you to confess that you don’t want to do that,’ admonished Michael with a friendly smile towards his son._ _

__Graham muttered an apology._ _

__Daniel chuckled, ‘he wouldn’t get paid much, it’s a government-subsidised scheme. To be honest, we didn’t really think we’d use it, but the renovation is proving a lot of work and I’m having to spend most of my time on commissions that actually make the business some money. I’d hope that once the renovation is done, I might be able to train up both of them in the art of master carpentry… if Graham… and Jamie is still interested by then.’_ _

__Jamie rolled his eyes._ _

__‘You’re not annoyed that I don’t want to be a mechanic, are you?’ asked Graham with obvious trepidation._ _

__Michael smirked, ‘why would I be annoyed, they get to wear you out each day. Then you can’t cause any problems for me when you get home. Sounds ideal… we’ll have to get you sorted out with a bike to get you to and from the train station.’_ _

__Graham looked relieved._ _

__‘Where are the children?’ said Sammy suddenly, standing up and looking frantically around the garden._ _


	5. Chapter 5

Meg looked at the rest of the family. Sammy, Jamie, and Daniel had all stepped away from the table and were scanning the garden. There were a few places the children could have secreted themselves, but it would have been odd for all of them to hide. Clive had gone into the house, Meg could hear him running up the stairs to check Mary’s room, she knew he would check for the boys in all their usual hiding places as well. 

It was Graham who spotted the thing that was out of place. 

‘Is that side gate supposed to be open?’ he asked. ‘I watched you make sure it was bolted shut when we came back from looking at the cottage.’

He looked at Jamie who nodded slowly.

‘Mary’s tall enough to reach the bolt, isn’t she?’ suggested Meg.

‘They’re not in the house,’ Clive called as he came back out.

‘They’ve gone to the beach, this is Peter trying to prove he’s better than Mary again,’ said Jamie.

Jamie and Graham were already heading towards the open wooden gate, Daniel hesitated, looking at the twins who were both playing quietly in their playpen oblivious to the unfolding drama. Sammy looked equally torn.

‘Go,’ said Michael decisively, ‘I can watch them.’

Daniel nodded his thanks and followed the other Alpha’s who had already disappeared through the gate. Sammy went to follow but Meg took his arm.

‘I’ll drive us, you won’t be able to keep up with them, it’ll only take five minutes more to drive round.’

Sammy looked at her for a couple of seconds before nodding and grabbing his phone from the table. Meg glanced at Clive who also looked a little unsure.

‘Grab a couple of blankets, they won’t understand that the water will still be cold,’ she said, knowing there was no time for their disagreements to be an issue at that moment. 

Within a minute they were in the people carrier, Sammy was sitting in the passenger seat, his foot tapping with agitation. Clive was sitting behind the worried Omega but leaning forward, his hand on Sammy’s shoulder in an attempt to offer some reassurance. Meg put the car in gear and eased her way towards the road. She knew they would take longer to reach the beach as they had to take a convoluted route along the narrow country roads. She hoped they did not meet any vehicles coming from the other direction, she did not want to have to reverse to passing places and add time to their journey. The Alpha’s would reach the beach within fifteen minutes if they could keep up a steady pace. Meg guessed that Graham would not slow them down, the tall lad would easily keep up with Jamie and Daniel. 

She concentrated on the road and tried not to think about what could have happened to the children. If they were not at the beach, she had no idea where they could have gone. Even in the short time, they had lived at Skulthorpe Manor the boys had been out exploring with all the adults, walking along the many footpaths and down to the beach on several occasions. 

They had been paddling and Jamie had allowed Peter to wade out into the sea on one of the much warmer days they had enjoyed a few weeks before. Peter would probably not understand that the seawater was not like visiting a swimming pool, it would be cold and unpredictable. Peter could swim well enough for an Alpha of his age, but he would not be strong enough to deal with tides and currents. Even Jamie had only been swimming in the sea a couple of times since they moved. 

‘I should have been watching them,’ muttered Sammy.

‘You are not to blame for this,’ said Clive firmly, ‘we didn’t think Mary could reach the bolt on the gate. We all should have considered it. You are not the only one who looks after the children.’

‘Sammy,’ said Meg as she turned the car onto the road that led to the small car park, ‘we were all there, none of us spotted them by the gate.’

No other cars were parked by the gate with the little map holder of local footpaths. Meg parked the car haphazardly and switched the engine off. Clive grabbed the blankets and climbed out of the car, sliding the door closed. Sammy had simply jumped out and run towards the gate, not even bothering with the door. Meg waited for Clive to slam the passenger door closed before pressing the lock button on the key and following in Sammy’s wake. 

‘If anything’s happened, let me call the emergency services,’ Meg said, ‘they’ll listen to me and react quicker… I hate it but that’s the truth.’

Clive glanced at her, ‘in this instance, Meg, I am more than happy that you are with us.’

Sammy had reached the beach; he was charging across the pebbles towards the sand that led down to the sea. Meg guessed he had seen something.

The Alpha’s were running from the opposite direction having emerged from the more direct footpath a few hundred meters away. Jamie was ahead. 

Meg looked towards their target. 

The children were grouped close together. Peter was a few meters into the sea, he was trying to stay afloat, his arms splashing and a look of sheer terror on his face. Mary was trying to hold George and Henry back. The boys had managed to pull Mary a couple of meters into the water, which was choppy and splashing almost over little Henry who was crying. George was struggling the hardest to escape Mary’s grasp, desperate to reach his struggling twin. The little Omega was practically howling in distress. Mary could not keep her feet under her as another wave hit them and all three fell into the water. Meg feared they would be washed out, into the water too deep for even Mary to stand, but somehow the little girl had dug her heels in and the three remained where they were. All of them were coughing and spluttering. 

Jamie shouted something over his shoulder as he reached the children. He ran straight towards Peter who even in the few seconds Meg had been watching had been pulled further out by the tide. Peter was far enough out that Jamie was forced to swim for a few seconds to reach him. The scared boy had dipped under the surface as Jamie got to him, forcing the Alpha to follow. 

Daniel and Graham went for the other children. Graham pulled Henry to his feet after he was knocked over by the force of a larger wave. Between them, Graham and Mary forced Henry back up the beach and to safety. Mary collapsed to her knees holding Henry tightly.

Daniel had to pick George up, the distraught Omega kicked and struggled in his attempts to getaway. Daniel was forced to hold George firmly to stop him from hurting himself. 

Jamie resurfaced with a splash; Meg could not help a relieved sigh when she saw Peter wrapped in the Alpha’s arms. The little boy was coughing and still panicking. It took Jamie far longer to get back to the shore than it had for him to reach his son. Sammy reached the edge of the water as Jamie got to a point that he could stand, although he was still being buffeted by the waves. 

Peter was clinging to Jamie, his little hands white around the knuckles as his fingers dug into the Alpha’s shoulder. Jamie sank to his knees as he reached the dryer sand; he was breathing hard. Peter tried to pull away from Jamie who loosened his grip slightly as the little boy was struck by a coughing fit. Jamie allowed his son to sit forward a bit and rubbed at his back. 

‘Do I need to call for an ambulance?’ asked Meg.

Jamie glanced at Sammy who shook his head, ‘I think we can deal with it. He didn’t pass out?’

Jamie shook his head, before looking at the other children. George was still trying to reach his brother, whilst Mary and Henry were sitting together looking very shocked. Graham had taken one of the blankets from Clive and wrapped it around them both. 

Daniel knelt by Jamie and allowed George to finally reach his brother, the little Omega hugged Peter tightly for several seconds before sitting on the sand next to him and clutching his hand. Peter, his face pale, seemed too exhausted to react, he had gone back to allowing Jamie to cradle him in his arms, his head resting on his Alpha’s shoulder. Clive tucked a blanket around Peter before draping another over Jamie’s shoulders. 

A shadow fell over the little group, Meg looked up to see Mary, tears streaming down her face, looking down at them.

‘It’s my fault,’ she said, between gasped sobs. ‘I dared him to go... for a swim... He said he was... the best swimmer…’

They looked up at her for a few seconds as she sniffed and wiped her tears away leaving sandy streaks across her cheek. Her wet hair was plastered to one side of her face and she was visibly shaking.

‘I’m really sorry… Please don’t... send me back... to the home.’

Jamie looked confused for a second before reaching out his free arm and pulling his daughter to kneel next to him. He hugged her tightly for a few seconds and kissed the top of her head.

‘I’m not going to send you away,’ he said. ‘You know you did the wrong thing… and you’ve apologised… We’ll have a proper talk later on.’

Mary nodded, she looked at Peter who was looking at her with half-closed tired eyes, ‘I’m sorry,’ she said.

‘Let’s get them back home and dried off,’ said Meg.

A~B~O

A flurry of activity had followed. Daniel, Graham and Clive had walked back to the house whilst the rest of them piled into the car. Mary sat in the passenger seat quietly crying, Meg held her hand whenever she could. Sammy and Jamie sat behind with Peter on Jamie’s lap and George cuddled into him, still holding his brother's hand. And Henry had shown great bravery by sitting on his own in the back row of seats, the youngest Alpha was very quiet causing Jamie to have to glance back frequently to check he was alright. Henry had eventually started telling Jamie he was alright every so often, something that lightened the mood slightly for Jamie and Meg as they finished the short journey home. 

Somehow, they all knew what to do. Clive sorted out changes of clothes and bath towels. Daniel got to work on warm drinks for them all. Sammy and Jamie concentrated on the children. Graham was given some of Jamie’s clothes to change into once he had showered. The teenage Alpha was a little overwhelmed by it all and had to be sat down for a few minutes. The children were cleaned up and dried off. 

Jamie wondered if Peter would ever let go of him and if George would ever let go of Peter’s hand. They were sitting on the sofa by the window with Sammy sitting on the sofa that faced the television. Henry was curled up by Sammy and Mary was sitting on the other side of him, still looking very sorry for herself. 

Peter was struggling to stay awake, ‘I’m sorry,’ he mumbled, something he had been saying frequently since he had calmed his breathing down as they had sat huddled together on the beach. 

‘I know,’ said Jamie as he clutched his son a little tighter. ‘You need to remember that you’re still a little boy. You may be an Alpha, but you're only a little Alpha.’

Peter nodded.

‘I’m a grown-up Alpha,’ said Jamie, ‘and even I’m not very confident to swim in the sea. I’m a good swimmer. But the sea is very dangerous.’

‘And cold,’ said George quietly.

Jamie nodded, they had all been shivering by the time they had got back to the house, the warm showers and baths had been welcome. 

‘Tell us what happened, Mary,’ said Sammy.

Mary was looking at her fingers as she spoke, ‘when we got to the beach there was no one else there so I knew no one would stop us,’ she paused and sniffed. ‘The waves didn’t look very big… but they got bigger really quickly. Peter was up to his ankles, he said he was going to take his shoes and top off and go swimming properly. He turned around to walk back but slipped when another wave hit him behind… George ran forward so I grabbed him. Then Henry ran forward so I grabbed him as well.’

She sniffed again; Sammy handed her a tissue. They waited whilst she blew her nose, Jamie was fairly sure Peter had fallen asleep, his grip seemed to have relaxed.

‘Peter got close to the edge but then got pulled further out. I heard Jamie shout, so I knew you were coming. Then a big wave knocked us all over. I couldn’t stop George from moving…’

‘You did a naughty thing unbolting the gate and encouraging Peter to go swimming,’ said Jaime, ‘but you know that, don’t you?’

Mary nodded; Sammy put his arm around her.

Jamie managed a smile, ‘but you kept George and Henry safe. You could have panicked and run away and left all the boys, or you could have run into the sea and you all could have drowned. You did the right thing in the end… And you apologised straight away. That is always a good thing.’

Mary nodded, ‘I won’t open the gate again,’ she said quietly.

Jamie looked at Sammy who managed a smile. The horrible incident had brought them closer together. They had all learned that they could come together when they needed to. Despite the awkwardness between Meg and Clive, both of them had been there. Despite Graham only knowing them for a few hours he had not even considered his own safety as he rushed to help rescue the children. And even though Peter was not even Sammy’s child he had worried just as much as Jamie had. 

Jamie was frequently proud of his family. Again, and again, they proved that family was more important than anything else. Even Mary, who was still finding her place, had stepped up when it mattered, she had prevented what had been a shocking incident from turning into a tragedy. 

They still had a lot to learn about looking after the children and Jamie knew they would face further problems, but he knew they would face them together. 

The End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it.  
> More to come...


End file.
